SLIDER

Sewing For Kindergarten // Banyan Tee & Sketchbook Shorts

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

I have a kindergartner!! If you follow me on Instagram you may have heard plenty about this fact already, lol. He's excited and to my surprise, I am too!

And since I have a kindergartner, I had a fantastic excuse to sew a bit for my oldest, whom I hadn't sewed for in quite a while! And to give me just the motivation I needed, I of course said YES! when asked if I'd like to participate in Mie of Sewing Like Mad's Sewing for Kindergarten Series.

The participants in the series are asked a few fun questions - here are my answers!

Is this your first time sending a child to Kindergarten?

Yes!

In fact, he's never been to any type of preschool before this, we did lessons at home up to this point, so the 8:30 - 3:45 (when he comes off the bus) is definitely an adjustment for him. His birthday is 8 days before the age cut off, so based on my husband's and my instincts, plus advice from teacher friends we decided not to send him until the year he turned 6. So this year he headed off to his first day of school having just turned 6 a couple of days before. So far, I feel the decision has been a great one, he is super ready to learn, and being a, all BOY all the time, the extra year has helped him be able to sit still for longer periods of time. He still has a hard time with that at some points but what kindergarten boy doesn't!

Do you feel like crying or celebrating?

Celebrating.

I feel like I should feel like crying, but he's SO ready for it, and needed that structure that I had a hard time giving him at home. He's happy, so I'm happy!! Plus I still have 2 other little munchkins at home to distract me. Aaaannnd. It feels like a teeny bit of a vacation to run errands with only two again. Ha.

And what about your child?

Celebrating!

He's never mentioned any bit of negative feeling about going to school, he's loving it! From what I can gather, his favorite thing to do is go to the library. Because I'm pretty sure the librarian is his favorite.

What kind of school does your child attend? (public, private, charter, homeschool)

Public. It's a really great elementary school that we are lucky enough to live super close to, less than a mile. We are in the country so there are no sidewalks for us to walk, unfortunately, but in the morning it only takes a couple of minutes to drop him off, and in the afternoon, he is the 3rd drop off on the bus route, so he only rides for a few minutes there as well.

Question to your kindergartener: What has been the best and worst part so far?

Best: Playing on the playground! Worst: Remembering to listen to my teacher.

Haha, like I said... We've had a few rough days, but he's catching on! Today in fact was an A+ day!! We had a little dance party to celebrate when he got home. Heehee.

Now for some sewing talk!

Both shirts you see in the above photos are the Banyan Tee with a slight modification. The neckline is intended to be a bit wider and slouchier, but that just doesn't work for this boy. So I cut the neckline smaller and adjusted the binding accordingly. Otherwise I completely love the slouchier fit on this tee. I sewed the size 6/7 (which is where his chest measurement put him) with a 1 3/4 inches added to the length. I added the length because I wanted it a bit longer than the pattern is written.

To help keep the neckline binding down and to help prevent the scratchiness that can otherwise happen, I ran a line of stretch stitches along the back of the neckline. I like the look it gives too. It is listed as an option in the pattern to run a line of stitches all around the neckline to keep the neckband down, but I find I don't usually have a problem with the front and I like the cleaner look without. The back however I like the added detail, and it's very functional as well.

This tee is made from 2 different thrifted tees and I kept the original hem line on both the bottom and the sleeves. Did you catch that? NO hemming!! Woohoo!

Also, I had some fun with the stripes on the pocket. And yeah. That seriously hurt my brain!

I made the main part of the tee from an xxl men's tank and had originally squeezed the sleeves out of the same fabric, but when it came time to assemble the tee I realized I had cut one of the sleeves wrong and they weren't symmetrical. Boo. But in the end I think it was a happy accident, because I think it worked out better with the solid gray sleeves, the stripes were getting a little overpowering!

The second tee is also repurposed from a men's xxl tank. Made exactly the same as the first, except I used the Banyan sleeves (no cutting error on this one!), which I LOVE.

And now for the shorts.

I used the Oliver & S Sketchbook shorts pattern and added the Kudzu Cargo back pockets for a fun detail. I sewed them in a teal denim from Joann's and questioned my decision from the beginning because, pleats and denim??? I need not have worried, because I love, love, love the outcome!

I really can't recommend this pattern enough. It came together very well and the fit is spot on! I have been having some issues fitting clothes to him lately so this was a breath of fresh air!

They feel like good and sturdy shorts, yet move and are very comfy. Based on his measurements and comparing them to some rtw (ready to wear) shorts that fit him well, I made the size 5 with no adjustments at all. Per.fect.

Like I mentioned before I added the pockets for a great detail on the back, I wanted more of a denim shorts look and I feel I got exactly the look I was going for.

And if that wasn't enough, I sewed up a few other shirts for him as well ;)

I did have a few fit issues with the other 3 shirts. I think I will give them their own posts later on. They are all wearable, with the exception of one, that one will just have to wait until little brother grows into it before it will get worn :)

And now for one final photo of my highschool senior kindergartener. This photo did make my heart skip a beat. Slow down time, please slow down!

Thanks so much for having me in this fun series, Mie!

Don't forget to check out all the other adorable kindergartners in their mama-made's during the series!

4 comments

Awwww Heidi what a beautiful post. The love to your boy shines through every word and the clothes is simply fabulous! Everything is so beautifully sewn and the style is just perfect!! Thank you SO much for participating. And let me just add that it is not just boys that have problems sitting still in Kindergarten haha. My daughter definitely had some rough patches too these last months.

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Hi! I'm Heidi. Handmade Frenzy is the place where I share my adventures in sewing a handmade wardrobe. I share pattern and fabric reviews, along with fashion inspiration and tips & tricks. I hope you come alongside me in my journey and feel inspired!

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